


Vault 116

by TheBubbliciousGenius



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Adult Content, Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, F/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Robot/Human Relationships, Sexual Content, Sexual Humor, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-08-12 01:47:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7915723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBubbliciousGenius/pseuds/TheBubbliciousGenius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bonnie Wilmot, Daughter of General Wilmot had been trained for the Future. When the bombs fell, she was ready. But would she truly be prepared for the world she found 210 years after the fact?</p><p>(Mature for Later Chapters)<br/>(On Hold for the time being)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bombs Away

We all knew the bombs were coming. But no one knew exactly when. However, when my Father got the call that the world had started its dreaded push button war, I was ready. I had been ready my whole life. Not one day was wasted since I was born, spending every moment I wasn’t sleeping to learning something about Nuclear Apocalypse Survival. My father would even throw curve balls in my food so I’d learn if it was radiated or poisoned…that practice didn’t always end well.

I learned resourcefulness, engineering, mechanics and biomechanics. Chemistry, cooking, first aid, advanced aid, how to shoot and how to set traps. At age Ten I was versed in Martial arts. By age Thirteen I had finished my High School Curriculum, advancing in History and Agriculture. Everything one could possibly learn seemed to be drilled into my head on a daily basis.

How I managed to retain it all is still a complete mystery to me. But in the end, I felt like I needed a label slapped on my forehead that read: Killing Machine/Know-it-all. Or as my father liked to call it: Master of the Future.

But whenever I had spare time from my Father’s training schedule and book learning I would often be found playing Piano or teaching myself how to fight with swords. Anything to keep my mind occupied and hands in motion. For I feared that if I didn’t I would get rusty or my mind would cave into never-ending thoughts, ultimately spiraling me into undocked madness. Even now I could barely sleep without heavy medication.

“Bonnie”

I turned my head. My gaze steady as I looked to my father whose blue eyes held the same calm. He gave me a solemn nod and gestured for me to follow him down stairs. With his signal, I swung my hiker pack over my back, slung another bag of arsenal and ammo over my shoulder and picked up the suitcase I had just finished packing.

Stopping at the threshold I turned to give my room one last glance, sealing it forever into my memories before shutting the door behind me in a quiet farewell. As I walked down the stairs I had to remind myself to breathe and breathe deeply. Though I had been trained and prepared for this very day, my heart still beat like a trapped rabbit within my rib cage. I would never tell father…but I held many doubts and often found myself overwhelmed by anxiety. I had just become adept to hiding it so that I could do what I needed to and not disappoint him.

I considered the kitchen as I passed and found our Mister Handy busying himself with something on the stove. He had been a Christmas gift when I was very young and after building him I had christened him: Chassiston. I thought it was a rather clever name at the time.

I couldn’t help the hint sadness that mixed with my smile as he came over and offered me a cooked meal for my descent into our personal vault. Gratefully taking the lunch box I let my other hand reach out and hold one of the Robot’s servos in a gentle vice “I’ll miss you, Chassiston” my voice wavered, trying to keep myself together so I didn’t show weakness in front of my Father. But I couldn’t help feeling I would never see my beloved robot again.

“And I will miss you, Madam Wilmot. But never you worry! I am certain we will see each other again” He twirled and tipped slightly in a bow.

I bit my lip to keep it from quivering as I finally let go of his servo, watching him hover off to his own bunker so he could watch over whatever remained of our home after the bombs.

Regaining myself, I continued into the foyer and softly ran my hand over the piano as I walked by. I closed my eyes, focusing on the feeling of the cool Ivory keys beneath my fingertips. Would there even be a piano in the future? The thought of never playing again made tears sting behind my eyelids, but I couldn’t allow these fears to deter me from my mission. I had to be strong…

I finally came to stand beside my Father on the platform to our vault. Glancing up at him he set a hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I smiled, seeing the pride beaming in his eyes. But then he stepped off the platform, my smile quickly faded into surprise and felt my stomach flip in panic “Dad? What are you doing?”

“I’ve decided don’t need me, Bonnie. I’ve trained you well enough that you can go into the future on your own.”

“But…dad you- you’ll die! Please come with me! You said we would do this together!” I pleaded him to reconsider. My jaw clenching in an attempt to keep my lower lip from trembling.

He reached out, his hand calloused and rough from a lifetime of work and gently took my chin “You’ll be fine, Bon-Bon…besides. I’m too old and would only slow you down. You just take care of my suit, alright? You do that and it’ll take care of you” he smiled.

“But…what if…What if the world is worse than we expected when I wake up? What if…I don’t make it?”

“The world is full of what if’s…you won’t know until you get there…but I know you will. Because you’re smart and strong. Don’t ever doubt yourself. You will be a master of the future, whether the future likes it or not” he said, his hand moving to cup my face.

The tears I had been holding finally fell as the war sirens began to blare. I knew then that this was it…that this would be the last time I saw him. I set my hand on his and held it tight, leaning my tear stained cheek against his touch. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye…

The platform began its descent and I felt the touch on my face slowly receding. I opened my eyes to look up at my Father, remembering his smile and his words as our hands finally parted and the doors shut above me, leaving me in the darkness as I heard the rumbling of bombs colliding with the earth and the shakes of quakes that followed.

I cried…I cried for what seemed like days until I just couldn’t cry anymore. I just lay there on the floor in the dim light of the vault as my world shattered around me and felt at a loss of what to do.

After some time, I gingerly rose from the floor and sat up, taking deep calm breaths.

It was ok…I was going to be ok…father had faith in me…and so should I.

I looked over at a photo of my Father and delicately picked it up to set it in what should have been his Cryochamber. Once I had done that I sat at a small table and ate the meal, now cold, that Chassiston had so graciously prepared.

I spent some time keeping my body fit and reading up on the Vault Survival Guide. I sat down to create a few devices I could use once I woke. After all, a little more firepower and safety insurance never hurt anybody…that weren’t my enemy anyway.

I now stood before my Cryochamber and took a deep breath. Father didn’t know how long it would take for the world to not be a radioactive wasteland so I had to guess it seemed. So, I set the pod for Two hundred and ten years. I didn’t know why the extra Ten…guess it was just a feeling I had and decided it was best to listen to it.

Taking a step inside I turned to lean against the wall and closed my eyes. Quietly praying that the future wasn’t going to be as bad as my mind was playing it out to be. But if it was, I just hoped that it had something to offer as a redeeming feature…

 


	2. Unlikely Rescuer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie wakes up and goes on a scouting mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I am going to be away this weekend at Rose City Comic Con I've decided that after taking far too long and doing far too much tweaking that seemed never-ending. I wanted to post it today whether it was good enough or not. So~ Without further Adieu, I give you Chapter 2!

Everything had ceased to exist. There were no dreams, only darkness. There was no perception of time or knowledge of any senses. As far as my body knew, I was dead. But when the vault initiated the Reanimation Process to thaw me, it was a shock to the system. Next thing I knew I was sent into a coughing fit as my lungs strained in taking their first breath of air after being frozen for so long.

I struggled to move, I couldn’t even lift an arm. It was like trying to fight through sand. So I just stood there, waiting for everything to come back to me. I inhaled, exhaled. Clenched and unclenched my hands, waiting for blood to circulate through my cold, stiff body so that I could step out of the pod safely. Finally, I opened my eyes, vision blurred but trying to focus. And the first thing I saw clearly was my father’s pod.

I blinked and looked down at the picture I had set inside of it and then up at the clock that spelled out the date. October 28th, 2287. My spirits that I had just regained seemed to fall. He had been gone for Two hundred and ten years…I felt tears slowly rise into my eyes, throat squeezing as I repressed the sobs that tried to escape.

Damn it…No. No more crying…I had to be strong now. Even if I didn’t like it. Even if I didn’t feel like I was. I had to do this…It was my mission and I would do it for me, for my father and for those of the future.

I took a deep steadying breath and let it out, giving a slow nod of agreement to myself. Now that I could move I carefully stepped out of the pod and walked over to the chamber that held my father’s T-60 Power Armor. I looked upon it and then down to stare at the metal emblem that shined on the chest plate

‘General Wilmot’

Guess that was me now.

I unfocused my gaze and saw my reflection in the glass. I was pale with green eyes, my hair long and black. My body had tone but no bulk. I had curves but often wished I didn’t since they just got in the way. And I always wished I was a little taller than 5’8” but there was no changing that.

Shedding my Vault 116 suit I put on some normal clothes that consisted of a white t-shirt, a leather jacket and black jeans. After pulling on my boots I snagged some dehydrated food and sipped at a can of purified water, all the while musing about what might be up there on the surface. Had the radiation left by now? Had order returned or was it all still in complete chaos?

Taking another drink of water, I looked to the vault exit and sighed deeply.

Please let there be something good out there…

I gathered a few supplies, weapons and anything else I could carry that would be initially useful for a short scouting mission before opening the armor up and stepping inside.

Ok…deep breaths. Everything is going to be just fine. Just remember your training…and don’t die.

The Vault door groaned when I pressed the button to exit, but the mechanisms didn’t budge. There must have been something jamming it.

Damn.

I walked over to the door to grab hold of it, growling through gritted teeth as I tried to push it open. At last there was enough room for me to squeeze through. On the other side I found myself met by debris and the platform that had collapsed from its weight.

“Well this is just perfect” I snorted as I gauged how high I was going to have to go now that I didn’t have the elevator.

Luckily there was an emergency ladder on the far side I could use instead of having to brave the unsteady ruins. It took a while to get to and then climb up, but I finally came to stand in what remained of my old house. And though the damage was extensive I had honestly been expecting the whole place to be gone. But walls still stood and even parts of the upstairs were still intact. It was a miracle.

Glancing to the foyer I found that the piano had been all but crushed beneath a collapsed piece of flooring and I saddened at that.

Well…so much for Pianos in the future.

Once I was done looking around I made my way over to the piece of floor that held Chassiston. I kicked away rubble and wiped at some dust to poke in the release code, watching the chamber rise up to release the beloved robot.

“Happy New Year, Madam Wilmot!” he greeted.

I grinned and wrapped my arms around the robot, glad to know I hadn’t lost everything “Nice to see you too, Chassiston.” Standing back, I handed him a pistol “I’m going for a bit of scouting so you might need this to watch my back”

“I will do my utmost best, ma’am! But erm- where is Master Wilmot?” his three mechanical eyes seeming to widen in curiosity.

I was silent for a long moment. I really didn’t want to answer him. But I knew he deserved to know “He didn’t make it…”

“Oh...I-I’m so sorry, Madam…”

I shook my head, not wanting to dwell on it “Let’s move” I ordered as I made my way to the front door, leaving him to follow behind me when he was ready.

Emerging from the ruins of my home I was surprised to see that the Massachusetts State House still greeted me. Turning my head right and left down Derne street, I grimaced. The streets were trashed and it looked like there were some strange creatures down to the right.

Nope…better to sneak off to the left.

Once I was around the State House I headed down Bowdoin street and turned right again on Beacon. Taking a left on Park I felt a bullet hit my back while another whizzed past my helmet.

Shit!

I turned and saw what looked to be the creatures that had been down Derne street. But this time they had massive dogs with them. All of which were catching up to me.

“Better put that thruster into gear, Chassiston!” I called as I booked it down the street. The clunking of heavy metal feet hammering my ears as I rounded onto Tremont and saw the Park Street Subway entrance.

Bingo! Perfect hiding spot!

I whirled inside and held the door open for Chassiston before shutting it behind me, lodging a piece of metal into the handles to keep it shut. Unfortunately, when I got to the bottom step of the stairs, it burst open.

Ah shit!

I sprinted as fast as I could into the next room where men were chatting behind a counter. I gracelessly hopped over the access point and called “Gang way!” in my wake.

The men blinked, not sure what to make of the sight but didn’t get the chance to respond as the creatures started to flood the area and smashed their brains in.

I narrowly avoided the mine on the next set of stairs and ducked when one of the creatures triggered it. An arm went flying by my head while blood splattered over Chassiston.

“Eugh! How revolting!” the robot groaned, using a free servo to pick off pieces of flesh that had gotten on him and used a handkerchief to wipe off the mess.

As I came down into the terminal, men were sitting at a table playing cards “We have incoming!” I warned them as I blasted by.

The men’s strange looks turned to surprise as they watched mutants charge down the stairs after me. It wasn’t long after that I heard many of them curse and a barrage of gunfire echo through the room. But I didn’t stop, I ran pass the subway cars, heavily panting from exertion until…wait…was that a vault up ahead? And it was open! This day just seemed to get better and better.

I marched towards it and watched as other men scrambled to join the shootout. I couldn’t help but wonder why they were all wearing such nice suits and…what was wrong with some of their faces?

“What the hell Is going on?” asked one.

“Mutants!” called another only to have his head shot clean off by one of the so-called mutants.

The man who had asked stared in disbelief at the man’s now headless body before looking to the others and pointing out at the fray “Get ‘em boys! Boss ain’t going to be happy if they get in the vault!”

I was really surprised they weren’t making a fuss about me. But I wasn’t going to complain. It was probably best if I just snuck away from the mayhem that I had accidentally caused. And I did just that, going lower into the vault and wondering what people were doing in one that was unfinished, or so I assumed it was due to its condition.

“Madam. Is this really wise?” Chassiston asked.

“They are in a vault…surely they are just civilians like me” or so I hoped…then again…they sure had a lot of firepower now that I thought about it…

“If you say so”

And then I heard talking when I got a few levels lower.

“Getting hungry in there? Do you even eat?”

“Keep talking meat head. Gives your boss more time to think of different ways to whack you off”

“Hey. Shut it. The only one going to get whacked here is you! Maybe make you a nice pair of cement shoes”

I frowned.

Cement shoes…that was mobster slang.

And that’s when everything seemed to hit me like a sack of hard sense. They were mobsters and had taken over this vault as territory. And now I was in the heart of it.

Bravo, Bonnie. Way to get yourself into trouble…

I crept slowly up the stairs and pointed my gun at the man. The moment I spoke was when I realized my voice module must have been set to my father’s because the look on the man’s face was like he had just shit himself “I would advise you let whoever you’re keeping held up in there, out. I don’t look kindly on people who keep others against their will…”

“Woah…easy there. Let’s uh- talk this out, huh?” the man tried to stall as he reached for his pistol.

“Watch out!” Chassiston warned as he noticed the man trying to pull a fast one.

**BANG!**

Having been holding my breath to keep steady I finally let it out and lowered my weapon when the man’s body crumpled, a bullet lodged perfectly between his eyes. I looked down at my armor and then back at the body. Was that guy an idiot or what? A pistol vs Power Armor? He had to be kidding.

“Hey you! I don’t know who you are but I’d appreciate it if you got this door open. Best do it fast too. Won’t be long before his boss realizes he’s not coming back”

I didn’t bother looking through the little window as I made my way over to the computer. It didn’t matter who needed help, I was just glad to be of service. I hunched over the monitor and tacked rather clumsily over the keyboard. It would have been a lot faster to hack if I wasn’t in the suit, but it didn’t seem worth getting out of either.

I frowned when it beeped at me rather angrily and squinted to read the green words that popped up “Overseer Password required” I hummed out loud.

I glanced over to the man’s body, silently wondering if he had the login. Crouching down to search his corpse I found the information I sought within the confines of his breast pocket. I couldn’t help but smile at my triumph and I proudly turned back to the computer to finish what I started.

Once the door was open I walked in and almost tripped over myself when I found a silver man standing there.

“Ah, my knight-in-shining-armor” he smiled and pulled out a cigarette to light between his hands, one I noticed being nothing but a robotic skeleton “Question is: Why does he come all this way, risk life and limb, for an old private eye?”

I blinked behind my helmet, my gaze falling on torn artificial skin and the mechanical parts that lay behind it “Uh…” I was lost for words. Was this guy a robot?

“Not much for words huh?” he asked, seeming to read my mind as he took another drag of his cigarette.

“To be honest, I just woke up. I left my vault to go scouting and ran into some not-so-friendly neighbors who chased me down the street. I thought I’d find shelter in the Park Street Subway but…well…Those mobsters are currently fighting off the party I didn’t mean to bring. So I snuck down here and found you” I cleared my throat “seemed like you could use a hand-uh! I mean…the help” I tried to save but winced when the words had already been said.

Damn it. That was rude. Way to point out the blatantly obvious, Bonnie.

The mechanical man stared for a moment before giving a small laugh “Well…sounds like you’ve had quite the morning then” he flicked his cigarette to the side “Come on. Let’s blow this joint before trouble shows up, we can talk more on the way”

I watched after him for a long moment. Wondering if I should really be following him. But when he looked through the small window at me and asked if I was coming, I decided I had nothing really to lose. That and he seemed to know where he was going whereas I felt I had gotten quite lost in this Labyrinth of a Vault.

“Uhm…if you don’t mind me asking. What were you doing locked up down here?”

“A father hired me to find his runaway daughter. When I followed the trail here, I was expecting her to have been kidnapped. Instead I find out she’s Skinny Malone’s new flame, and she’s got a mean streak” he seemed to absently rub at his head as though remembering something painful “I’ve been cooped up in here ever since. So I should count myself lucky you stumbled across me when you did.”

Who was Skinny Malone? I shook my head at the question and decided it wasn’t really important “Glad I could help”

I stopped when I heard murmuring not far ahead and crouched down, gun raised with my finger ready to pull the trigger the moment I saw someone in my sights.

“You hear that too?” he asked as he followed suit and leaned around the corner “Well…looks like we got company. How do you want to play this?”

I peeked around him. Five Men. Humming, I patted myself down. I had a silencer but it must still be in a bag back at the vault. Ah well…I took out a grenade and tossed it up once, glancing over to the guy I rescued to see what he thought.

He smirked “Hard and loud huh? It gets the job done, I guess. Wouldn’t want to be the one who had to clean up, though”

I smiled briefly behind my helmet before I pulled the pin and pitched it to land between the group. We both watched as their bodies flew through the air with cries of surprise and pain. Standing I charged in, gun at the ready but found they were already incapacitated.

“I could use one of these just in case we run into more trouble” the detective said, bending down to pick up one of the guns the men had dropped. He turned it in his mismatched hands before nodding to me that we could continue on.

“Why am I not surprised?” I asked as we came to what seemed to be a malfunctioning door.

“Let me take a crack at it” the detective said as he leaned near and began to jimmy the panel with his robotic hand “Almost- there we are. Hell of a lot easier to do when the lock isn’t on the other side”

Once we walked through the door the man seemed to groan at seeing yet another flight of stairs. “More stairs? Who built this damn vault? A fitness instructor?”

That caught me off guard. I felt laughter starting to bubble up and tried my best to restrain it. But it wasn’t good enough, however, when I all but blurted it for the other to hear. Laughter became a broken chuckle until it finally subsided. And now my cheeks burned with how embarrassed I felt. Where was my self-control? How could I laugh at a time like this?

“Like that one, huh? I’d say I’d be here all week, but I think three weeks is enough.” He said before starting up the stairs to lead the way again.

I cleared my throat and brushed myself off absently, trying to compose myself after my rather loud burst of amusement.

“Are you sure we should be following this Character? It could be a trap” My Mister Handy pointed out. Almost forgetting he had even been there since he had been so quiet up until that point.

I sighed “I know…but…I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t seem like he has any ill intentions and he’s helping us out. So…let’s just see where it leads. Just keep close” I told him before heading up after the Private Eye.

It wasn’t long before we wound up back at the entrance to the vault. But we were met by guns pointed at the both of us, surrounded by those Mobsters. This was a sticky situation, especially when I didn’t know which one to take out first. With great hesitation I sighed and slowly lowered my shotgun in a sign of submission. Perhaps it was best to see how it played out before going in with guns blazing. When the gun was no longer blocking my vision, it revealed a large man in a spiffy black suit with a woman holding a bat beside him.

“Nicky? What are you doin’? You come into my house? Shoot up my guys? You have any idea how much this is gonna set me back?” this guy must have been Skinny Malone.

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for your two-timing dame, Skinny. You ought to tell her to write home more often” ‘Nicky’ retorted.

“Awww…poor Valentine. Ashamed you got beat up by a girl? I’ll just run back to daddy, shall I?” asked the woman holding the bat. What a snob, I thought.

“Should’ve left it alone, Nicky. This ain’t the old neighborhood. In this vault. I’m king of the castle, you hear me? And I ain’t letting some Private Dick shut us down now that I finally got a good thing going.”

I frowned at him calling the guy beside me a dick. Sure, I swore sometimes, but that was just outright offensive.

“I told you we should’ve killed him, but then you had to get all sentimental! All that stupid crap about the ‘old times’” The woman sneered.

“Darla, I’m handling this! Skinny Malone’s always got things under control!”

“Oh yeah? Then what’s this guy doing here, huh? Valentine must have brought him here to snuff us all out!”

All eyes were on me like what I said next would change the course of how things went down.

Just take a deep breath, Bonnie. Try to end this as peacefully as possible. Even if that Darla character is really starting to pluck at your nerves.

“Look. I don’t know him or you guys. I came here thinking it was safe and uhm…accidentally let mutants in. Sorry about that, by the way. But if I may…” I looked to Darla and thumbed to ‘Nicky’ “he told me that your father sent him to find you…that means he cares…a lot. Why are you here when you have family you can be with?” I bit my lip, trying to keep from crying from my own fresh wounds “I’d give anything to have my dad back…I wouldn’t be wasting my life with thugs when it means I have less time with people who really care about me. So if I were you…I’d go home.”

There was silence before she sniffed “I…I…” she wiped a tear from her eye “you’re right…I’ve gotten it all mixed up”

“Dar-Darla! Where are you going?” the mob boss turned to look at his flame, shock written all over his face.

“Home, Skinny. Where I should have been all this time. This is goodbye for us” she offered dramatically before turning to rush out of the vault.

“Ah! Come on, Nicky. Your friend just cost me my men, now my girl?” the mob boss did not look happy, his face starting to look the same shade as a tomato.

“My friend here just did you a favor, Skinny. You always did have a bad taste in women. But now that she’s not around to feed that temper of yours, maybe you’ll see sense and let us walk. You still owe me for three weeks in the hole” the detective pointed out.

“You smug, over confident ass…Get out of here! You’ve got to the count of ten. If I see your face after that, I’m gunning the both of you down…1...2…” Malone raised his gun, ready to shoot if we weren’t out of there when he finished counting.

“Better get out of here, fast…there’s a service ladder just outside the vault. Come on” The detective urged me.

“4…5…6”

I followed the mechanical man out of the vault and watched as it started shutting behind us, reading the ‘114’ as the door rolled closed. Turning my attention forward again I climbed up the ladder that lead us back out into the city, now dark with night. And we both stood there for a long while in complete silence, just staring up at the beautiful starry blanket

I heard him sigh contently, breaking the air between us “Look at that Commonwealth sky. Never thought anything so naturally ominous could end up looking so inviting…”

I hummed in agreement “Always did love looking up at the stars when I got the chance…” I said out loud, though I had meant to keep it in my head.

The man turned to look at me “Just wanted to thank you for getting me out of there…and I should have done this a while ago…but…no time like the present. I’m Nick Valentine, Private eye. I also suppose you’re wondering about my ugly mug”

“Well…I wouldn’t say ugly and I wasn’t going to ask…but since you mentioned it. I am curious. I’ve never seen anything like you before…”

“Well I’m what folks call a Synth. A prototype anyways. There’s older versions, dumb as rocks and newer ones that are almost human. I’m somewhere in between.”

“I see…It seems I have a lot to learn from the future…”

Chassiston pretended to clear his throat “We should get somewhere safe. I’m sensing a lot of movement nearby”

“I’d say head to Diamond City, but I have a feeling that’s a bit of a trek for being this dark. Probably too dangerous” Nick hummed in thought.

“I suppose you’re right. But before we proceed Mr. Valentine…and I hope you understand where I’m coming from when I ask this. But…Can I trust you?” I hated to be like that. But I didn’t want to regret anything later, either.

“It’s good to be cautious. And I’m not saying the world doesn’t have its problems. But there are a few good people in it, just have to look beneath the rust and rubble to find them sometimes” Nick smiled and I felt the corner of my lip curl some when I realized he was talking about him being made of metal and having rescued him from an underground vault “I know trust is earned. But I owe you in my book. So, if you can take my word for it now. I hope to have the honor of earning it later.”

I was quiet for a while as I processed his words. Trying to figure out if he was being sincere or if he was just trying to get in my good graces. I glanced over at Chassiston who seemed to look wearily at Nick. But in the end I couldn’t find any real reason not to trust him and gave a nod of approval “Come on, then. My vault isn’t far. We can wait for daybreak there”

As I lead us back to my house I kept my gun raised, keeping myself ready for the unexpected. Who knows how many more of those mutants were out there, or gun happy mobsters ready to pop you in the skull.

“So…I’m curious, where did you get the suit?”

I was startled by the sudden voice out of the long silence and had to calm myself when I found it just came from Nick “It was my father’s…he served in The Battle of Anchorage when China invaded. All back during the Resource wars. He got it as a reward after the fact when they came out with the T-60 design”

Nick seemed to go quiet for a moment, causing me to look over at him “So…you’re pre-war huh?” he asked, fiddling around with a thought to say more on the subject but decided not to. This made me raise an eyebrow curiously. What was so special about being Pre-war?

After sneaking our way back to the house Chassiston stood guard while I worked to remove the debris from the vault door. Nick had decided to wander the ruins and found what remained of the Piano in the foyer. He crouched and picked up one of the Ivory keys, inspecting it with a soft hum of curiosity before placing it back with the others. Standing back up he turned to walk up the rickety stairs that lead to the second floor and was greeted by peeling blue wallpaper and doors that had fallen off their hinges from time and decay.

He peered into a few rooms, finding most of them had collapsed floors but soon found himself stopped at one door that was still hanging. Lightly pushing it, it returned a nasty squeak of distress to reveal a room that had been spared unlike the rest he had seen. His yellow optics scanned the room and noticed a desk in the corner. As he approached it he felt like something wasn’t quite right…like there was something he was missing trying to piece together more about this man who had rescued him.

Before he could take a look at what was on the desk I hollered from downstairs “You coming?”

“Yeah. Give me a sec” he called back, giving one last glance to the ruins before heading back downstairs.

I watched as he finally entered the vault and moved to lock the entrance behind him. Once I knew everything was secure I marched over to the armor workbench and disengaged, the suit hissing open to release me.

“So I noticed I never caught your name-” he stopped half way in his turn to look at me and stared as my womanly figure hopped out of the suit.

I ran my hands through my hair before I began pinning it up, slowly turning to look at him while I did so. I allowed myself a small smile at his surprise and offered a slight curtsey since I was preoccupied “Bonnie Wilmot, at your service”

There was a long silence before he responded “Well…I’ll be honest. I wasn’t expecting a woman to come out of that thing.”

I felt a mild blush grace my cheeks “My father more than likely defaulted himself into the voice module. I was going to say something but thought it best to keep a secret until I knew I was safe…and that you were safe.”

“That’s alright.” he told me as he took a seat on the bottom cot “So…that speech you told Darla…I’m guessing it was pretty personal…” he looked to the picture I had in my father’s Cryochamber and then at me with his piercing yellow eyes “You alright?”

“…” Where did I begin? Did I even want to begin? “I…I’m fine. I would hate to bore you with my life story, anyways” I dismissed.

He leaned back some and patted the spot next to him with his still intact hand “We’ve got all night. And besides. I listen to people’s life stories for a living” he smirked.

I was frozen where I stood, cheeks burning from his comment and eyes staring at the hand that patted me over. I swallowed and took a hesitant step forward before taking my seat next to him. I started to notice the smell that wafted off him. Cigarettes and coffee were definitely apparent…and metal. Then there was a minor note of whatever hell his clothes had been through.

“I…my father…he was a General. He knew more than anyone what was coming. The war. He knew that it was going to be the end with just a press of a button. So…when my mother died from giving birth to me he spent every moment to training me. Whether he was on duty or not.

All the moments I should have been smiling and running free were spent learning, fighting and making sure that I would survive the nuclear fallout” I closed my eyes “October 31st would have been my 21st Birthday, but October 23rd came first. When we were getting ready to be put in the vault my father said he was staying behind. That I would be fine…” I tried to hold back tears, trying to keep my composure but the way my body shook with suppressed sobs gave me away.

I wiped at my eyes “I’m sorry…this is embarrassing. I’m trying to stay strong. But it’s hard. I had always planned for us both to be here…and yet…it’s just me. I don’t know if I can do it alone but I know that I have to. It’s just so much to take in when my father was standing right there…just yesterday.” I felt my eyes drop from my father’s pod and down at my hands, watching as my tears trickled and dropped into my palms.

“Hey…it’s alright. Nothing wrong with crying…not that it’s an option for me” he set a hand against my back to calm me, seeming to lighten the sad air “I’m sorry you’re having to deal with all this. But believe it or not…I know what you’re going through. My memories and the whole basis of who I am is from a Pre-war cop. I was made in a lab and just woke up one day in a garbage heap, in this body. Everything was still so fresh from when the real Nick Valentine was alive. It was a shock to say the least”

He looked at me with a small lift of his synthetic lips “Point is…Things will be alright. You’re not really alone and you’re better off than I was. You’ve got me and that Mister Handy of yours. And despite them not liking Synths, I found a home in Diamond City. So…maybe with some time it could be home for you too” his hand lifted and lightly patted my back “And if you want, I could give you the 101 on the present day Commonwealth. Probably good if I take a few days off anyways”

I wiped away my tears and sniffled before looking up at him, most of my face red from crying. But I was quelled for the time being by his words and now sat memorizing the side of his face. I could see his jaw working as he talked. His head and neck connected by only a narrow piece of skin. When I noticed I was staring I shifted my gaze to Chassiston “Sorry…I don’t mean to gawk. You’re just…fascinating.”

“Well there’s something I don’t hear every day” he smiled some.

“But…thank you. And I’m sorry you went through so much when you first woke up” but now that question about being Pre-war made a bit more sense. We were from the same era…in a way and had gone through the same scenario.

Nick seemed to wave his robotic hand in dismissal “Think nothing of it”

“So…” I bit my lower lip as curiosity gripped me in its unrelenting clutches “do you sleep? Or Eat?”

“Don’t really need to sleep or eat. But I do like to smoke and drink coffee. Old habits, really”

“So, what’s the difference between a Synth and a Robot?” I asked. it was hard to wrap my head around what he was. Who made him…and how?

“Well, uh…we’re prettier to start with.” He chuckled, making me snicker myself. Sure it didn’t answer my question but I’m sure I’d get the chance for an answer later “Though you’d be surprised how many people I can trick into thinking I’m just a really sick ghoul”

I blinked “Ghoul?”

“Oh right. You probably haven’t seen one of those yet. They’re humans who got a little too much radiation and came out a little worse for wear. If we ever go to Goodneighbor, you’ll meet one. Named himself ‘Hancock’”

Like…John Hancock? I shook my head at the thought “Well…I’ve been asleep for 210 years…Tell me all you know Mr. Valentine” I smiled, my desire to learn peaking as I turned to face him fully, sitting ready like the perfect student. Besides, it would keep my mind off of my Father and my anxiety for just a little while.

“And don’t leave anything out”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie...If I were sitting alone in a vault with Nick on my bed...I wouldn't be seeking knowledge...*coughs* unless it was of his body...  
> *Notices you all staring at me* Oh! Hahaha *Blushes and rubs the back of my head* Didn't notice you there...you- you didn't read that part right? >.>
> 
> Anyways! I Hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully more to come as soon as my perfectionist brain will allow.  
> The rest of the story MAY or may not be in third person. Just depends what is easier on my poor over critical thinking mind hahaha.
> 
> Review and Kudos always appreciated, never expected.  
> And Feedback helps the story become better so lay it on me!  
> I can take it!  
> Be brutal...  
> Ok...maybe not TOO brutal. I bruise easily...


	3. Diamond City

Our trip to Diamond City consisted of fighting what I now knew as Raiders, Super Mutants and Radscorpions…I did not like the last ones one bit. I preferred the Mutants over those creatures.  And if it hadn’t been for Nick being a pretty good shot, one of them would have pierced my armor with its stinger and it would have been Game Over. So, as it stood, I was really grateful. But now I was going to need some hefty repairs to my Power Armor.

When we got to the gate I was greeted by men and their guns, watching me carefully as though I were one of the many dangers that Nick and I had just faced.

“Easy there, guys. He’s a friend” Nick tried to voice reason, giving me a glance to silently tell me he would keep my secret until I decided to do otherwise. Noticing this I felt a pang of gratitude for the Synth at my side and nodded in acknowledgment.

“What’s with the armor? You from the Brotherhood?” one asked.

“I don’t know who that is to be frank” I told them, I only knew what Nick had told me, which honestly wasn’t a whole lot “My father left this for me in my vault”

The men looked across at each other, silently communicating whether to let me in or not “What business do you have in Diamond City?”

“He’s going to be my new Partner. Got me out of a tight spot yesterday. Figured I could use the extra hand” he moved his slender robotic fingers and I resisted the urged to laugh.

“Yeah, yeah…don’t forget we’re watching you too, Synth”

“Hope you like what you see” the Detective retorted.

Stepping beyond the rising gates we were greeted by a man in a gray-brown suit and hat. He had a mustache and, not that I’m judging, was a little round around the middle.

“A T-60 Power Suit in my city? Never thought I’d see the day” this man must be Mayor McDonough that Nick had told me about last night “Welcome to the Green Jewel of the Commonwealth. What is your name?”

I was quiet for a moment “…Wilmot” well…Technically I wasn’t lying.

“I see…and I’ve heard you were a Vault Dweller. I just want you to know that you are Welcome here and that if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them” the Pudgy man smiled.

“Thank you…Mayor McDonough” I nodded, watching on as he left.

“Come on, I’ll buy you a bowl at Power Noodles. Get you introduced to everyone” Nick gestured.

“You are too kind, Mr. Valentine” I smiled behind my suit “Didn’t think a restaurant would exist after a Fallout”

“Took up here not long before I strolled into town”

I had never seen Fenway park before. But I found it ingenious that someone managed to create a sanctuary using the walls of a baseball stadium. Walking onto the field I realized it wasn’t the prettiest place to live, but it was done well with what they had. As we walked closer to Power Noodle, which was in the middle of the field, I started to notice the other little shops. Like the newspaper stand to my left.

Then there was a Salon and Boutique across from a Doctor’s office. Some hardware stores, ammo and weapons depot. They had a lot more than I expected.

When we came up to the counter of the restaurant all eyes were on me as we took our seats.

“Hey Nick, Who’s your friend?” Piper, the reporter for the local paper, or so I was told, came to ask.

“General Wilmot. Just buying him some noodles”

“General? He one of those Brotherhood Assholes?” she frowned, scrunching her face in a way that was rather comical.

“He doesn’t know them. He came out of his vault not long ago and saved my hide”

“Well…anyone who’s a friend of Nick’s is a friend of mine” she reached out and gave my gauntlet a firm shake.

“Thank you” I responded before looking to the Robot making noodles.

“Hey, Takahashi. My friend here and I-“ Nick started until he was interrupted by “Nan-ni Shimasho-ka?” (What will you have?)

I smiled behind my helmet “Watashi wa yakisoba o onegaishimasu” (I will have the Yakisoba, please)

Eyes were on me again, people looking up from their noodle bowls, some in mid-bite as food dropped from their mouths. This caused me to swallow. Did I say something wrong? I was fairly certain I wasn’t that rusty with my Japanese…

The Robot behind the counter beeped briefly as though computing the request before he turned to start cooking “Sugu ni, sā” (Right away, sir)

“Well I’ll be damned…” Nick blinked.

Piper gasped “Oh my god…he said something other than…whatever he says”

“He said ‘What will you have’ and I told him I would have the Yakisoba” I explained.

“Shit…how the hell do you know how to speak Japanese?” Piper asked.

“I know many Languages. Japanese was one of my first. Et loqui Latine (I also speak Latin), Govorit po-russki (fluent in Russian), Taerif, alearabiat qualitanaan (know a little Arabic), Yixie zhonqquo (some Chinese), Ich kann auch Deutsch (I know German too), non dimenticare italiana (don’t forget Italian)…”

“Synth! The Institute has infiltrated us! I knew that old Synth would betray us one day!” a man cried from across the restaurant.

“I assure you, I am not a Synth” I told them. Though I suppose I wouldn’t know from how Nick described them being now.

“That’s exactly what a Synth would say!”

“And what exactly is wrong with a Synth?” I asked him. I honestly didn’t have a problem with them. Nick was better than some people.

“They want to replace us. They ain’t human!”

“Everybody just calm down” Nick tried to calm the crowd by patting his mismatched hands in the air.

The noodle bot handed over a bowl of steaming noodles “Koko ni iru” (Here you are, sir)

“Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita” (Thank you very much) I thanked him.

Everyone stared, wondering how I was going to eat with my Helmet on. I took a deep breath and stood, moving over to a safe corner of the field and ejected from the suit before turning to look at all those still staring at me “I’m not a Synth. My name is Bonnie Wilmot, daughter and only child of General Garret Wilmot. I have been asleep for over 200 years. Been trained for whatever the future has to throw at me so that I can eventually make it a better place for all. Don’t believe me? That’s your problem. I’m just trying to sit down and have some noodles if that’s alright with you…”

The population went quiet, unable to believe their eyes. The man who had made an outburst slowly sat down with awe written on his face. I looked to Nick who cleared his throat and Piper who smiled.

“Holy shit…you’re a woman. Would have never known. I will definitely want an interview from you later. But you go and have your noodles” she winked before walking off just as everyone else went back to their business.

I sighed heavily. This wasn’t how I wanted to start things. I came to sit down beside Nick again and picked at my noodles with my wooden chopsticks. The private eye looked over at me with concern.

“Hey. Don’t let what happened get you down. This city can get a little up in arms about new things but…they’ll get used to you. Did I ever tell you why they let me in?” he asked me.

“No…why?” I hummed before taking a mouthful of noodles.

He then began to tell me how the old Mayor of the city sent him to find his daughter who had run off with a caravan hand and ‘known’ for an evening. The way he cleared his throat to indicate the hidden meaning of ‘known for an evening’ made me blush but I continued to chew and listen. Apparently, the guy was part of a group of kidnappers.

“So I stumbled across this crying girl surrounded by four toughs…”

“You took on four guys? How?” I asked, taking another mouthful of food.

I almost wished I hadn’t though as he told me that he had proclaimed to them that he was a bomb and even proceeded to recite the sound of one, going “Beep Beep Beep”. I nearly snorted noodles out of my nostrils and quickly covered my mouth to offer a muffled laugh while trying to swallow.

He chuckled at my reaction “Yeah. That was the hardest part, keeping from laughing as they scrambled over each other to get away. But when I came back, the Mayor dubbed me a hero…and gave me a place here in Diamond City even though everyone else protested”

Once I swallowed and ceased my laughing I finally looked at him “Why?”

He went on to explain how some Synth in disguise of who was once human came to sit at Power Noodles and wound up shooting people before being shot himself. Making the people of Diamond City scared of Synths and the Institute. I saddened at this knowledge “Oh wow…no wonder they got so upset…” I said softly, stirring the broth left in my bowl absently.

“Yeah…and it was after that, that I showed up. Thought I was here to poison the drinking water or something…”

“Tell me about the Institute.”

“No one really knows. Whatever I might have known was gone the moment I woke up in that trash heap. All anyone knows is they’re kidnapping people and replacing them with Synths who look like them.”

“That’s awful…” I shook my head as I stared at my bowl “You never did tell me much about the Brotherhood of Steel…”

Before he could say anything there was a noise from above. “People of the Commonwealth. Do not interfere. Our intentions are peaceful. We are the Brotherhood of Steel”

“Speak of the Devil.” Nick muttered.

I couldn’t help but stare in awe at the immense and high tech Zeppelin “Wow…”

“Impressive, I’ll give them that. But they hate Synths and they don’t like anyone having any tech. They’re afraid of anyone else gaining power besides them, if you ask me”

“So…this is the Future’s Military huh?”

“You got it” Nick gestured with his chopsticks before taking a mouthful.

I watched him and smiled for a moment. So he did eat…I wondered how that worked…Shaking my head I looked back up at the Zeppelin and watched as Vertibirds dropped from the main ship and took off in different directions to cover the whole of the Commonwealth. From the sounds of them, per Nick, they really did sound like Assholes. But if they had that kind of firepower and Military guidance, surely, they could help the people of the Commonwealth rather than hinder them.

“Think you can show me around Tomorrow? Maybe pick up supplies from my vault?” I asked as we finished our meal and started to head towards his Office.

As I rounded a corner I was almost blinded by the red neon sign that spelled ‘Valentine Detective Agency’. And why was I not surprised that it had a heart with an arrow through it? Suppose it was rather fitting really.

“Sure, sure. Anything to help. Hell, I was helping people for free when I started out. Not that I expect payment from you of course. Glad to do what I can.”

I smiled “Well. I’d hate to be free-loading. And if I’m going to be your partner, I’ve got to help you out somehow”

“Oh…uh…well. I just said that to get you through the gate. But…if you really want to pal around with this old Synth and don’t mind doing some tough jobs…I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. It’ll be different, that’s for sure. Always been solo” he admitted.

“Well…no time like the present to try new things. After all, I learned 10 different things a day when I was younger. Sometimes more.” I said as I parked the suit just inside the door where it would be safe.

“Can’t imagine a life like that…but I suppose If you hadn’t had the one you did. You wouldn’t be here now and have saved my tin-can from Skinny Malone”

I chortled some “Suppose you’re right” I replied, looking around at the disorganized mess of an office.

I must have had quite the look of disbelief on my face too for him to say: “I know, it’s messy. Like I said, it’s just me here.”

I slowly played it off by stifling a yawn with my hand “What this? It doesn’t bother me, any...” I coughed, hoping I wasn’t being disrespectful about his space “Besides, if I get ambitious, I’ll just see what I can do about getting you in order er- if you want”

He shook his head and waved off the subject as he made his way to his desk. He took a seat in the torn chair and fiddled with some papers that was scattered about his desk before gesturing with his head towards a hallway “There’s a bed in the back…I don’t use it so; you’re welcome to it” he offered.

I glanced to the hallway and back to him with a thankful smile “Thank you, Mr. Valentine,”

“Call me, Nick. I’m not your Boss after all…just…well, your partner” he shrugged, seeming to not know what else to call it.

I blinked at that. I was always the more formal type. But I suppose just in this one instance, I could call him by his first name. So with a bow of my head and a courteous dip of my body I took my leave “Night Nick”

As I turned the corner I found an askew cot beneath some stairs. A dresser stood near it in the same turned fashion. Out of curiosity I looked through it. A bunch of bottle caps were scattered around, which from what I was told, was this times currency. There was a pistol and some ammo and…I hummed as I took out a beige trench coat and a gray fedora just like the ones Nick was wearing.

I laughed to myself and put the hat on. There were no mirrors but I was certain I looked ridiculous. Putting the two items down and wandering up the stairs I found it was just an empty room with some boxes full of files. I shrugged and slid back down. I moved the dresser to be flushed against a wall and moved the bed to be straight underneath the staircase. As I looked down I noticed a piece of paper that had fallen out from beneath the mattress. I glanced around before picking it up to read it.

It was something about a man named Winter and a newspaper article attached to it. I didn’t read much into it but guessed it was an old case Nick had worked that had gotten lost. I politely placed it in the drawer with his other pair of clothes before laying down and sighing in relief. Moments later I was squirming as the springs dug into my back until I finally found a comfortable spot. I had to admit though, this was better than standing up for 200 and some odd years.


End file.
